The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple is a 1968 American black comedy film written by Neil Simon, based on his play The Odd Couple, directed by Gene Saks, and starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. It is the story of two divorced men – Felix Ungar, the neurotic neat-freak, and Oscar Madison, the fun-loving slob – who decide to live together, even though their personalities clash. Felix (Jack Lemmon) at one point even telephones Oscar (Walter Matthau) at Shea Stadium telling him not to eat any hot dogs at the game, because Felix is preparing franks and beans for dinner; this distraction causes Oscar to miss seeing a rare triple-play at the Mets game on which he is reporting. The scene at Shea Stadium, which also featured Heywood Hale Broun, was filmed right before a real game between the New York Mets and the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 27, 1967. Roberto Clemente was asked to hit into the triple play that Oscar misses, but he refused to do it and Bill Mazeroski took his place. At points during the movie, Oscar is seen wearing a Mets hat. Scenes include the night that Oscar plays poker with a few friends and the scene where Oscar gives Felix a massage. TV Show The Odd Couple, formally titled onscreen Neil Simon's The Odd Couple, is an American television situation comedy broadcast from September 24, 1970 to March 7, 1975 on ABC. It stars Tony Randall as Felix Unger and Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison, and was the first of several developed by Garry Marshall for Paramount Television. The show is based upon the play of the same name, which was written by Neil Simon. In this version of The Odd Couple, Oscar (played by Jack Klugman) also wears a Mets cap and sometimes he is seen wearing a Yankees cap instead. 2015 TV Series The Odd Couple is an American multi-camera television sitcom that premiered on February 19, 2015, on CBS. It is the sixth screen production based on the 1965 play written by Neil Simon, preceded by the 1968 film, a 1970 television series, a 1975 Saturday morning cartoon, a 1982 remake of the 1970 series, and The Odd Couple II, a 1998 theatrical sequel. A few Mets references are made and seen throughout the show. Oscar Madison (Matthew Perry) is sports radio talk show host is well known on the air. In the start of the pilot episode, Oscar argues with a caller about the Mets and hangs him up intentionally. Mets memorabilia is seen in the room where Oscar does his radio show which is in his apartment. Mets caps and other Memorabilia can be seen in the apartment as well. Mets memorabilia is also seen in the local bar such as Mets logos, Mr. Met and player photo frames. Oscar can also been seen wearing Mets related shirts. Two Mets coffee mugs are seen in the apartment kitchen in the cupboards. Teddy (Wendell Pierce) mentions the Mets when he comes in to Oscar's apartment and him filming the large sports ticker above Oscar's ten TV's in the corner of the living room. In "Enlightening Strikes", when Oscar and Dani (Yvette Nicole Brown) are stuck in a subway car, a man sitting across from them is wearing a Mets cap. In "Jealous Island", Murph (Geoff Stults) is mentioned by his ex-girlfriend, Brooke (Mircea Monroe), who is dating Oscar, that Murph used to play for the Mets when she and Murph used to date. His name could be a reference to Daniel Murphy, the former second baseman for the Mets. In "Make Room for Dani", Murph's first name was revealed to be Marcus. Also in the episode during Oscar's radio show, Dani gives the latest score of a Mets-Marlins game with Matt Harvey's name being mentioned. In "Madison & Son", Oscar throws out the first pitch at Citi Field as Teddy who is his agent gets him the chance with Murph to catch him as an honorary catcher since he played for the Mets. Oscar remembers that when he was four years old at his first Mets game that he and his Dad ate hot dogs and that he spilled ketchup all over his shirt with his Dad saying, "Don't worry about it". He mentions that loving the Mets brought them together. Felix invites his estranged father (Garry Marshall) without Oscar's approval to invite to see him throw the first pitch. When he is invited into the apartment, he recognizes Murph, who walks in with both of their jerseys for the game, by mentioning that he was a six time all-star with eight gold gloves. Later the two are watching a Mets-Marlins game with Matt Harvey pitching as seen on TV in the corner of the living room without barely talking to each other and with Oscar saying, "Harvey's really throwing smoke", to which his Dad agrees. Felix comes in and turns off the TV in the middle of his many TV's trying to get them to talk to each other but since he has more TV screens on the side of the main TV turning them on at a time forcing Felix to turn them all off until he turns them all on with his remote. However, despite the game on TV the announcer is Howie Rose who does radio for the Mets. Before the first pitch Teddy and Murph are waiting in the locker room waiting for Felix, Walter and Oscar to arrive to which Murph saying it "Brings back memories". Murph sees Mr. Met and offers him a high five, but walks away as Murph tells Teddy that he is mad at him because he dated his ex-wife, which Teddy thinks Mrs. Met, but Murph reminds him that there is a person in the costume of Mr. Met. Walter enters the locker room wearing a Mets hat and Murph signs it as per his request. With Murph ready to catch, Oscar throws the ball hitting Mr. Met in the head knocking him out with the crowd booing him since he was angry at the lack of support from his Dad and at Felix for trying to bring them together closer since Oscar wasn't able to do so for years. With Teddy, Felix and Walter watching the first pitch on TV in the locker room, Walter says, "Got him right in the ball", after seeing Mr. Met hit by the pitch. The next day, callers on his radio show make fun of him for his throw. The Mets later invite him back to do a photo op and videotape it in the locker room of the pre-written apology so they can post it on their website, to which Mr. Met arrives in the locker room in a wheelchair with a big Band-Aid on his head where he was hit. Walter makes fun of him prior to the apology that he saw the pitch on the news in slow motion. After he rants on about his Dad going off on the apology, they fix their relationship and agree to watch the game from the stands together. Felix thinks he is the special person to thank for bringing Oscar and his Dad closer and together, but Oscar thanks Mr. Met instead of him. An upset Felix gets a hug from Mr. Met saying, "You're warmer than I expected". Murph's uniform number is 11 and Oscar's is 4 with their last name on the back of the home white pinstriped jersey's above the number. In "Chess Nuts", in order to pay roughly about twelve grand in back rent for the apartment on his behalf, Dani suggests that Oscar sell his baseball signed by the '69 Mets, to which he responds saying, "The '69 Mets? No way! That's my favorite team. And the funniest year." When Felix battles Joshua (Jim Rash) to a rematch of the chess match they had when they were younger when they were nationally ranked competing against each other back in 1984, Joshua reveals that Oscar paid him to throw the game, Felix thinks that he wasted potential rent money to pay Joshua and asks how he will pay the rent, he tells him, "I sold my '69 Mets baseball." In "Odd Man Out", Felix does an impersonation of Oscar wearing a Mets shirt with the NY cap insignia on the left sleeve. In "Road Scholar", at the DMV a male teenager is waiting on line wearing a Mets cap backwards. Category:Mets Category:Culture